


The End of the World Job

by Cloud_Nine



Category: Leverage, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Canon Character of Color, Canon-Typical Violence, Drabble Collection, F/M, Gen, Interracial Relationship, Racist Language, Racist Merle, story told in drabbles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-06
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2018-08-19 23:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 3,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8228084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cloud_Nine/pseuds/Cloud_Nine
Summary: The Leverage 2.0 team is doing a job in Georgia when the world ends. Told in drabbles.





	1. Chapter 1

“Back off,” Eliot growled getting in Merle Dixon’s face. The older Dixon snarled and pushed forward giving the shorter man a shove. 

“What ‘er ya’ gunna do ‘bout it, boy?” Merle snarled his eyes flashing angrily. 

The camp watched tensely as the two men squared off. It wasn’t the first time the men had fought it wasn’t likely to be the last. Merle Dixon had a bad habit of playing with fire and Eliot Spencer was always ready to burn the older man. 

Ever since Eliot and his group had wandered into the quarry camp things had been tense. Merle, a racist, sexist son of the south, had a lot to say about Eliot’s friends. A willowy blonde woman who had only introduced herself as Parker and the young black genius Alec Hardison were often targeted by Merle. Especially after the racist man had discovered Park and Hardison, as Alec asked to be called, were together. 

Eliot, older than both Parker and Hardison, was always there to warn the older man off with some softly growled words or a threatening look. This time, it didn’t seem to be enough. 

“Don’t make me lay you out here, man,” Eliot said softly. “‘Cause I will if you don’t back off.” 

“I’d like ta’ see ya’ try, boy” Merle growled. 

“Get him Eliot!” Parker cheered. She didn’t much like the older redneck because of what he said to Hardison, and the comments he kept making about her and she really wanted to see Eliot beat him up. 

“Come on, man, just drop it,” Hardison said trying to defuse the fight. Hardison wasn’t trying to stick up for the racist redneck, no he didn’t like Merle one bit, but he also didn’t want to cause trouble in the camp. The guy in charge, Shane the former cop, already wasn’t too fond of the newcomers because of just how happened upon the group. 

Parker, Hardison, and Eliot had been working a job in Atlanta when the world ended. They had just finished taking down a slumlord who had been testing dangerous chemicals on his tenants when Nate had called Eliot. 

People were eating each other and the country was falling apart. Nate and Sophie were on their boat, living it up at sea and the mastermind urged the team to do the same. That was where they had been headed before it got so bad they hadn’t been able to continue on. 

It might have been easier, they might have been able to make it if they hadn’t stopped and stayed at the refugee center. Eliot had been against it from the start, the defenses were weak, he said, people, there weren’t careful enough. He had been right. They really hadn’t had a choice, Hardison had hurt his knee, and couldn’t run so they stopped. 

The place fell to the dead three days later, and when the Leverage crew left, they left clutching a small boy named Andre. It hadn’t been part of the plan but when Eliot stumbled upon the screaming boy and his stoned father about to be torn apart by the dead the hitter had no choice. He scooped up the child and they ran. 

The toddler cried a lot and the group was constantly worried that the boy’s cried would bring the dead down on them, but no one said anything about the first time Shane told them to keep him quiet. The looks on Eliot and Parker’s faces had been enough to silence protests. 

“No, I told him what would happen if he kept up,” Eliot said shoving the taller man back out of his face. 

“Come get some nigger-lover!” Merle spat stomping up to Eliot after having been shoved back a few feet. 

“Stop! Both of you! Dixon, Spencer! I said knock it off!” Shane Walsh shouted barging in between the two angry men. “Merle go get ready for the run! Eliot back off!” 

“Ya don’ tell me what ta do pig!” Merle spat at Shane’s feet. “This boy’s too big fer his britches!” 

“I told him if he said one more word about Hardison or Andre I was going to break his face!” Eliot shouted finally losing his temper. 

“Go!” Shane demanded giving both men a shove. 

“Eliot, man, come on, I told you it doesn’t matter!” Hardison said putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’ve heard it all before and it means absolutely zero coming from some inbred redneck.” 

“Doesn’t matter! He shouldn’t say shit like that,” Eliot raged still eyeing Merle who had started getting into it with Shane. “That guy is out of control. He’s high all the time and I’ve seen him when he’s on watch! The way he trains his gun on people! He’s going to kill somebody.” 

“And before he goes too far you or Parker will go all ninja on him,” Hardison said leading the hitter over to where Parker had taken Andre to play. The thief/mastermind was playing patty cake with the toddler near their shared tent. 

“I can’t stand men like him,” Eliot muttered dropping onto a log next to the blond and the small child. 

“Trust me Eliot, I get that,” Hardison said taking a seat beside the long haired man. “But it’s not worth the trouble, not right now.” 

“I can always tase him,” Park offered pausing her game with Andre. “Ya’ know just walk up behind him and bzzzz.” She thrust her arm miming the motion she would make with her taser and Eliot’s lips quirked. 

“I’d pay to see that; big ol’ guy like him laid out by a tiny thing like you Parker,” Eliot said softly smirking at his friends. 

Hardison laughed and bumped his shoulder into Eliot's. “Me too, man, me too.”


	2. Chapter 2

The first time Parker had to kill a walker was when they saved Andre. She had been the closest, Eliot was helping Hardison and all Parker could see was the screaming baby. Using the skills Archie had given her the thief easily closed the distance between the screaming toddler and herself. 

The knife that Eliot had pressed into her hand when they first arrived flashed and found itself buried in the monster’s head. The blonde scooped up the boy and rushed back to where Eliot had cleared a path. 

Getting out of the refugee camp was difficult, because the fences they put up to keep the walkers out, worked well to keep the living trapped inside. They made it out, though, all three of them and baby Andre. 

Parker liked Andre’s mom. She was a nice lady with a cool sword. Eliot had shown her how to use it properly after he saw her struggling with it when they first arrived. Park wished she knew where Michonne was, if she was alive or not because she knew the other woman had to be missing her son. 

Still, until they found her, and Parker was sure they would, she, Hardison and Eliot would take care of him.


	3. Chapter 3

Eliot growled and moved. The other members of the group watched wide-eyed as Eliot quickly wrestled the gun away from Merle Dixon and laid the older man out on the ground. 

 

“You’re out of practice, marine,” Eliot snarled into the man ear. The long-haired man sat up, still keeping his weight on Merle’s back to stop him from getting up, and quickly unloaded the rifle and handed it to T-Dog. 

 

“Here,” the new guy Glenn had saved said. “We’ll keep him out of the way with these.” 

 

Eliot helped the deputy cuff the drugged up man to the rusted pipe and stood with a grunt. “Shouldn’t have brought him,” Eliot muttered to Parker who nodded. 

 

“Why did you?” The new guy asked. Small town cop, Eliot noted. He looked strangely out of place in the zombie apocalypse, but he seemed like a decent man. 

 

“Wasn’t my call,” Eliot said back holding his hand out. “Eliot Spencer.” 

 

“Rick Grimes,” the man replied taking Eliot's hand and giving it a firm shake. 

 

“Grimes?” Parker asked thinking of the little boy she had found crying a few days before because he missed his dad. “Like Lori and Carl?” 

 

“Yes! That’s my wife and son!” Rick exclaimed. “Do you know where they are?” 

 

“Back at our camp,” Eliot said. “When we get off this roof, we’ll take you to them.” 

 

Somehow Merle was still left behind.


	4. Chapter 4

Parker used her taser on Shane. Seeing the muscle-bound cop put Daryl in a chokehold spooked the thief and she just reacted. At least that’s what she told Rick. 

 

“Mama, you know they weren’t going to hurt him,” Hardison said touching his shoulder to Parker’s. Several feet away Eliot shot them a concerned look but Hardison shook his head and the hitter returned to his preparations. Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, Glenn and Eliot were going back into Atlanta to get Merle. 

 

No one but Daryl seemed really happy about it, but even Hardison couldn’t stomach the idea of leaving the man chained to a roof in the middle of summer. It was cruel. 

 

“Shane’s bad,” Parker whispered, her eyes trained on the cop still trying to talk Rick out of going back for Merle. “Like the bad guys we used to go after, he’s bad.” 

 

“Parker are you sure?” Hardison asked wanting to be absolutely certain. 

 

“Yes.”


	5. Chapter 5

Hardison was shaking. Walkers had overrun their camp.The dead spilled from the trees and the black man could see a number of their own dead on the ground. Bitemarks littering their flesh. They had been devoured. 

 

Andre was sleeping fitfully in Hardison’s arms. The little boy had just settled down, the screaming and gunfire had terrified the child. 

 

Several feet away Hardison saw Eliot and Parker helping take care of the dead. He knew he should help, but the minute he tried Eliot had passed him Andre and told him to watch the children. 

 

Hardison was not made for this world. Not like Eliot was, and not like the Dixons were. The hacker missed his old life. He missed his games and his technology. That was where he belonged. Living rough, killing these monsters, it just wasn’t for him. 

 

Hardison was all brain and outside of his video games, he didn’t like fighting. Sure had done some to protect the team but fighting to survive was so beyond different. 

 

“-dison, Hardison! Alec!”

 

Hardison jerked out of his thoughts and met Eliot’s eyes. 

 

“Hey man, you okay?” Eliot asked softly. 

 

“I am so far from okay right now,” Hardison admitted. “I can’t do this, man.” 

 

The hitter gently put his hands on the hacker’s shoulders and gripped them tightly. “You can and you will,” Eliot told him. “Parker and I we aren’t going to let anything happen to you.” 

 

“This is crazy Eliot, the world's done gone crazy, the dead are roaming around eating people!” Hardison hissed, careful not to wake the baby in his arms. 

 

Eliot nodded and kept his eyes locked with Hardison's. “Yeah, but we are going to be okay,” he said firmly. 

 

Hardison just nodded and smiled when Eliot lifted his hand for a high five. “For moral?” 

 

“For moral,” the hitter said when their hands slapped together.


	6. Chapter 6

Going to the CDC was a bad idea, Eliot could feel it. He had shared his concerns with Parker and Hardison, Parker just frowned while the hacker had expressed his hope that the lead wouldn’t be a dead end like everything else in this world. 

Eliot had tried to share his concerns with Rick and Shane, but the duo was so lost in what was slowly becoming a showdown for leadership that they didn’t listen. If this turned out to be a mistake he hoped they lived long enough for him to say “I told you so.”


	7. Chapter 7

“Anyone else notice that big ass clock over there counting down to something?” Hardison asked sarcastically. 

Eliot gave the clock a quick look and turned quickly to Dr. Jenner and swore violently. “Damn it! Get out, we’ve got to get out now!” 

“What do you mean, Eliot?” Rick asked finally getting the idea that something wasn’t right. 

“When that clock reaches zero, it’s over, all of this gone!” Eliot said shoving a bag a Parker. “Go fill this supplies. Hardison you too!” Eliot snapped up Andre and sat the toddler on his hip. “Move your ass people we don’t have all day.” 

“Woah, woah, this place is safe!” Andrea said bitterly. “You expect us to go back out there?” 

“I expect you to move your ass unless you want to catch on fire like the damn air will when that thing reaches zero,” Eliot snarled. 

Just as Parker and Hardison make it back with supplies Jenner seals the doors and Eliot punches him in the face. Thankfully Hardison gets the doors to open and thankfully Carol had been carrying out the grenade. Almost everyone made it out. Only Jacqui stayed behind. 

In the end, Carol asked how Eliot knew the CDC was going to blow up. “This ain’t the first one of these I’ve seen go up in smoke,” Eliot told her. “It was a very distinctive timer.”


	8. Chapter 8

Parker did not like Shane Walsh. The former cop made her twitchy and she didn’t like how he kept looking at Lori. Parker had stumbled upon their meeting at the CDC. Parker had pulled the larger man off of Lori and nearly killed him. Only Lori’s begging stopped her. 

Parker hadn’t told Eliot and Hardison yet, that she had seen Shane hurting Lori but she planned too, right up until the herd of walkers swarmed the highway where they were stopped.


	9. Chapter 9

Parker liked Daryl Dixon. He was much nicer than his brother even if he was really dirty and smelled funny. Hardison said it was because Daryl was just as socially awkward as she was, but Parker wasn’t sure that was it.

She liked the way he had helped T-Dog when he cut his arm and she really liked the way he helped look for Sophia, Carol’s daughter who has gotten lost after being chased by a walker. He seemed nice enough, even if he hadn’t noticed Parker lifting his lighter. 

She didn’t smoke or anything but people didn’t really carry wallets or phones anymore so sometimes she’d just steal random things people had on them, like Daryl’s lighter. Eliot had caught her once and made her promise to return anything she lifted so she did before anyone noticed the items were gone.


	10. Chapter 10

Eliot didn’t come back that night. The hitter had stayed out looking for Sophia. Daryl had tried to do the same but the others convinced him not too. Parker could see it in their eyes that they thought Eliot wasn’t going to come back. They just didn’t know him like she and Hardison did so Parker and Hardison just kept on doing what they were doing. They played with Andre, helped the group and when the group moved from the highway to the Greene Family farm they didn’t bother leaving a note because Eliot would always find them.


	11. Chapter 11

“Daryl is going out there again to look for Sophia,” Rick said taking a seat next to Parker. They had been at the farm for two days now and neither Eliot nor Sophia had come back. 

“Okay,” Parker said with a shrug. She had already told everyone that Eliot was getting the little girl but if they wanted to wander around the woods looking too, she wasn’t going to try and stop them. 

Rick grimaced and rubbed at his face. “Maybe Daryl will find Eliot too while he’s looking.” 

Parker snorted rudely. “Eliot doesn’t need to be found. He’ll come back when he’s done,” She said plainly. 

“Done with what?” Rick asked. 

“I dunno,” Parker said with a shrug. “Eliot stuff.” 

Rick shook his head and had to grin. “That’s the same thing Hardison said.”


	12. Chapter 12

Eliot had been in the wood for three days. He had found Sophia a day and a half ago. The little girl was dirty, tired, cold and hungry, but the moment she saw Eliot her face lit up and the hitter had allowed her a tight hug. 

“Mr. Spencer, are we going back to the group today?” Sophia asked softly. The hitter had told her to stay close and speak softly if she had to speak at all. 

“Not just yet, Soph,” Eliot said glaring at the line of cars speeding by on the highway. Eliot had taken the girl through the woods and led them back to the highway where they group had been last. Eliot knew they wouldn’t still be there, not after the herd that came through. 

“Who are they?” Sophia asked. “It’s not our group.” 

“No, it’s not,” Eliot said gruffly. “This means the highway ain’t safe. We can’t join the others this way.” 

“What are we going to do?” Sophia asked her voice shaking slightly. 

“There’s a ravine, ‘bout two miles that way,” Eliot pointed to where he had seen the ravine. “There’s water which we need and then ‘bout half a mile from there is an old farmhouse that we can stay in. We should be able to make the farmhouse before night fall if we hurry.” 

Sophia nodded. “Okay,” She whispered. 

“Don’t worry, kid,” Eliot said ruffling her already tousled hair. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”


	13. Chapter 13

“Is that Mr. Dixon?” Sophia asked pointing at the body laying on the bank. 

Eliot jerked his head to where the girl was pointing and swore. “Get up that tree. I’m going to check on him,” the long haired man said. The man and the girl had developed a system, Sophia stayed near Eliot and when he told her, she would climb up the nearest tree to keep out of the way of any walkers. Sophia did this and Eliot promised to teach her how to fight when they got back to the group if her mother agreed. 

Eliot waited the few minutes it took for Sophia to scurry up the nearest tree and turned to the steep incline that separated Eliot from Daryl. The other man wasn’t moving and Eliot could tell he was hurt, heck, he had to be if he had fallen down the incline like Eliot thought he had. 

It was then that Eliot spotted the walkers. 

“Dixon! Wake up!”


	14. Chapter 14

Parker wasn’t sure how things had gotten so bad, so quickly. Carl and Daryl were better. Eliot and Sophia weren’t lost anymore but things are the Greene’s farm were getting bad. The nice old farmer had walkers in the barn. 

Parker frowned as she remembered all of the spilling out of the barn door after Shane forced it open. She remembered the last walker a little girl Sophia’s age stumbling out and Rick putting her down. 

She remembered Alec explaining that Hershel’s family was in the barn. His wife, and stepson. 

“Parker! Eliot, Rick and Glenn are back!” Hardison said peeking into their shared tent where Parker was laying. “They brought someone with them and Eliot looks pissed, man.” 

“Eliot’s always angry,” She said pushing herself up. Andre was with Carl and Sophia playing so she didn’t have to worry about getting him. 

The black man shook his head. “Nah, mama, this time it’s worse,” Hardison said. “I think it’s the guy they brought back.”


	15. Chapter 15

Dale was dead. A walker had gotten onto the farm and Dale was dead. 

The walker part was what worried Eliot. Dale’s death was unfortunate but the hitter couldn't really find it in him to care too much about Dale outside of Eliot’s normal distaste for loss of life. 

The old man had been wrong and fighting the wrong fights. 

It wasn’t really his fault, but he had been wrong. The fact that he had been willing to put the life of a rapist before the life of everyone else in camp had really shown Eliot what kind of man Dale had been. It wasn’t a bad man, just misguided. 

Eliot knew Hardison was upset, the hacker was much more compassionate and caring then he cared to admit but he knew Parker was of a similar mind as he was. The farm wasn’t safe and it was about time to move on.


	16. Chapter 16

The farm was gone. Hardison clutched Andre to his chest tightly and rocked the boy as best he could. Beside him Parker was snuggled into his side and Eliot was talking softly to Daryl about something. Across the small fire they had built the Greene family sat together speaking softly. 

Parker leaned away to whisper something to a scared looking Sophia who managed a smile before cuddling into her mother’s side. They had lost people on the farm but they were all together now. 

Tempers were flaring and the group was cracking a little at the seams, but Parke could tell it was going to be okay. Eliot had moved from Daryl’s side to Rick’s and was talking softly. Park could tell by reading his lips that he was discussing shelter options. Now they were talking about Lori’s baby, Parker liked babies. They smelled nice when they didn’t have dirty diapers and they laughed funny. 

Parker didn’t jump when Rick lost his temper when he spoke about a place for them somewhere in the world. Parker nodded when Rick laid out his ultimatum. Eliot thought Rick was a good guy and so did Hardison which meant that Parker would trust Rick. She figured Rick’s idea of a dictatorship (Ricktatorship ha!) would be like working for Nate. 

Rick was a good man, an honest man, and Parker couldn’t wait to see what the world made of him.

**Author's Note:**

> Like my fic? Wanna talk to me about it?? Find me on discord! https://discord.gg/RAbVVjQ


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